Art Restoration

I now gaze at Michelangelo's The Creation Of Adam on my computer. I follow with my eyes the slope Adam reclines on and study closely God's flowing beard. I stretch my finger touching that space between Adam's and God's fingers--eternally reaching out to each other to close that gap which is the largest chasm in all of human history.

This painting is not in any museum but is among many other pictorial scenes adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome completed in 1481. Two hundred years later, the ceiling would suffer from water leaks. Simone Lagi arduously wiped the ceiling with linen cloths and rubbed it with bread. This was what has come to be known as art restoration or conservation. Now there are more modern and technologically-advanced techniques in art restoration, but it doesn't make the task any less arduous.

We don't see this--and maybe we never will--but we are works of art. We are masterpieces of the Creator, the Great Artist. "We are God's worksmanship," Paul wrote. We are His poetry, His obra maestra, His pièce de résistance in all of Creation. We would need His eyes to see us as we truly are.

My niece posted on Facebook, to my chagrin, a picture of me at six years old, bright-eyed and self-content. I was in a bright yellow shirt sipping a Coke. I looked at that child as if he wasn't me. If I could find that child I would apologize to him. I'd say "I'm sorry this is who you came out to 23 years later. I'm sorry I made you go through bad decisions. I wished I'd have done better." What I really wanted to say is I wish I never allowed sin into my life.

Sin has damaged me. Sin has damaged my relationships. Sin is the death of me. Ten years ago I wouldn't have cared less--a teenager rebelling against my dad, partying till the AM, and allowing others to treat me any way they wanted. "I'm worthless," I told myself, and believed it, too. If I were any piece of art, I'd be the picture of Dorian Gray. Restoring me would need more than the occasional swab of linen cloth and spongy bread.

Restoring me required that the Son of God, my Creator, would suffer and die for my sins. It would require that He shed His blood completely. It would require stripes on His back, thorns on His head, and nails on His hand and feet. And as He went through these 2000 years ago He looked forward to Rico restored, to Rico rejoicing in His presence. In three days He broke through the grave that couldn't hold Him.

When Ondoy hit us my father-in-law came to live with us as the self-appointed nanny to my daughter. There was good in this because he stopped drinking and regained a vigor he lost when he retired. Which meant of course I had to make certain adjustments: not all my decisions as man-of-the-house were carried out if my father-in-law was against it. The stench of cigarette smoke hung around the house like a specter. And we would have his favorite crab day after day after day. I'm vegetarian. I thought these were small sacrifices in exchange for seeing my cynic-to-the-Gospel father-in-law attending Sunday celebration.

But I reached a boiling point. In about a year we were at each other's throats, like steamed crabs with giant claws. With a harsh exchange of words he moved out, along with my petulant sister-in-law who was staying with us, too at that time. My wife was devastated, but I felt I only did the right thing. I was not without any self-justification or self-pity for doing what I did. My father-in-law and I have never spoken to each other since.

These were my choices. I wanted to stick by them. But they weren't necessarily godly choices. God's will is for me to forgive my father-in-law, to reach out to him in humility, and to pursue love above all. I can seek to restore this broken relationship ony after and in much prayer for strength and wisdom, in meeting with him, and humbly listening to his heart. Naturally I am reluctant.

Have you noticed that Adam's hand and gaze in Michelangelo's painting are slack? His arm and forefinger are relaxed. Contrast that with God's outstretched arm and finger and eager gaze, as if He is doing all in His power to come in contact with the man He created and loves. In God there is strong intent and action to fill that gap between Him and man. In Jesus, that gap was closed forever.

Excuse me. I'll need to stop writing now. I'll pray to the God of restoration and healing. Then I'll give my father-in-law a call. I'll reach out to him and close the gap. This is what Jesus did for me with His blood.

Nothing is more important than relationships

The Relationship Principles Of Jesus day one

I frankly feel this is another huge marketing scheme by Saddleback... old message (in fact ancient message since Biblical times), a tried format of 40 days, a marketing ploy of dispersing to churches worldwide to study the book in small groups, complete with video, study guides which will be greatly supplemented if you buy Tom Holladay's book on which this whole thing is based on. All this was done in the Purpose Driven Life Campaign many years ago based on a book written by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church.

Tom Holladay's writing sounds a lot like Rick Warren's. It's a little... churchy. Pastor-talk. I've my own favorite Christian authors and those mentioned above are not in my list. Tom and Rick are associate pastors of Saddleback so it's not as if Tom wrote a book independently and from another part of the country and Rick read it, caught on its promise, and contacted Tom to convince him to turn the book into a PDL take 2 campaign. (PDL has seen decrease in sales in the recent years.)

Having said all my critique, I will never deny how God used Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Life book and campaign to transform many, many lives. I never finished reading it, though. At least not in the one chapter a day format. Not that it's a terrible bore... the topics are really relevant! But it's the writing I don't like. (If you're curious who my favorite Christian writers are, just nudge me and I'll spill.) But reading through PDL I thought, bleah, I'd rather go straight to the source and read the Bible instead of this rehash.

So here I am in 2011, and tonight I'm supposed to facilitate a small group on ta-dah! The Relationship Principles of Jesus. I read the first chapter today and my thoughts are... You Can't Do That!

No, Tom, you can't! You can't tell me to "place the highest value on relationships" just with that short chapter. I need something more than that. I need... convincing, motivation, drive. I need something that speaks to my humanity. I can't be a robot that does what it's told.

Tom uses Mark 12 as his basis. While I have no questions that to love God and others is the greatest commandments, that wouldn't be enough for me to obey 100%. I am, after all, human. Praise God He knows this!

God doesn't just say "Love me!" God actually gives us reason and power (energy, spirit, drive--you get the picture) to do that. The Bible says we love because He first loved us. First John 4:10 says, "This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

And there it is! That's why I can love God and love others. Because God loved me first, even before I was born. Tom might have forgotten to mention this, but Peter Tan-Chi didn't, when he spoke about this topic last Sunday at CCF. Neither did my small group leader forget. Kuya Mon, after going through the video and discussion questions with us immediately went into the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news of God's love for us. Because of the Gospel, I am enabled to place the highest value on relationships.

Let me talk a bit about God's love. God is the most wonderful, magnificent friend a person can ever have... and He wants me—despicable me—more than I can ever want Him. I don't understand it! He wants to have a relationship with me so much He suffered and died just to make it possible. "Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9).

I do know that the father ran to his son (Luke 15:20), not the other way around.

The way I used to do it is base my lovability on how I feel and how I perform. If I do good, I feel good, and I feel loved by God, naturally. But when I foul things up, which I do often being human, when I trip and fall, I feel rotten, unlovable. Then I become convinced God hates me.

But God's love is unconditional. Nothing I can do can make Him love me more. Nothing I have done can make Him love me less. My lovability is not based on who I am or my person. It is based on who God is. God is love. God loves me. That's how it is from the beginning. And I can't change that. It's truth long before I was born.

What's more, Jesus took the fall for my sins. Then, He embraces me and kisses me in His love. Everything was done so I can come.

Consider this. I have sinned against God. I don't deserve to have a relationship with Him. But He made a way. He paid the price. He did it all.

And now I come. I come to Him. I come and I want to say, "I want to love You back. And I want to tell others about your love. And I want to love others like You do."

Listen to the lyrics of this song by Hillsong.

The spiritual and the secular

When I was younger in the faith and in the arts, I was accepted as an apprentice in a Christian theatre arts ministry. I learned a lot of good from them, but learned some bad also in the mix. One such learning was that being Christian, all my work must be exclusively for God's only, which was translated into: secular theatre work is bad. For years I had this thinking and shunned auditioning for theatre other than evangelistic community theatre. In this arts ministry, I learned acting second-hand, because I was rarely recognized for my talent. I was made to play second fiddle to my co-apprentices who were deemed more talented than me.

Each time I did make something worthy (my writing was something none of my other co-apprentices could do so I was recognized for it), I will be praised but immediately admonished that it's for God and I shouldn't feel satisfaction for it. To make sure of that, there would be all sorts of critique for my work--particularly if it were written in the genre of fantasy and did not mention "God" at all. But even in my "Christian genre" writing, that was criticized, too.

I never once thought that this was out of ordinary. I remember a member of that group once auditioned for a local musical of CS Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and that was disapproved. Only now do I remember all these incidents in my work with JC's books.

I wish I can go back in time and help myself as young artist by being the gentle mentor I needed at that time.

In one bold move, I took a hiatus from that group and auditioned for other theatre productions--where I was recognized for my drive, my discipline, and my talent in acting--something that I never received from the former group. These being secular productions, I heard all these accolades with a twinge of guilt. And my former theatre groups interpreted my leaving my company as losing my faith. Still, steadily, I really learned to act from my secular directors and gained a trust in my talent. Sometimes I would show up in my former theatre group, but nothing has changed there. I still was treated as a second-class talent in spite of my outside work.

Well, that Christian theatre group has now dissolved. None of its members turned out to be that committed to theatre work, and in contrast, here I still am, with a hunger and passion for theatre.

Last Sunday at church, the minister said something about the spiritual and the secular. He said anything done for the Lord is spiritual--whether it be our desk jobs. I was like, a ha! All those times I did secular theatre but prayed backstage dedicating that work to God--then it's not secular theatre after all! The minister went on to say that all seemingly spiritual work like ministry, if not done for the Lord, isn't spiritual at all.

That healed me. So I thought I just might share it here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

How He Loves Us, David*Crowder Band

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us.

-=-=-=-=-=-

I share this video because I listen a lot to K-Love.com and that's where I first encountered this song. I need to be reminded of what David Crowder writers here: He loves us.

God loves us! No condition, no exemption.

Customized Affirmations from The Artist's Way at Work

Julia Cameron's groundbreaking book, The Artist's Way, has helped more than a million people access their creativity and realize their dreams. Now, at the urging of their students, authors Mark Bryan, Julia Cameron, and Catherine Allen expand the original Artist's Way tools in an all-new program specifically addressing the world of the workplace.

The Artist's Way at Work blends cutting-edge ideas on creativity and group dynamics with the timeless values of integrity and simplicity to produce a powerful process that will assist you in whatever work you pursue.

The result will be a heightened sense of adventure, excitement, creativity, and satisfaction—not only in your business, but in your whole life as a whole.

- from the back of the book

The Artist's Way at Work suggests that you use some affirmations for your workplace. Here are some:

1. My creativity profits me and others.
2. My creativity is clear and expansive.
3. I trust and use my creative impulses.
4. My creativity is safe and exciting.
5. As I trust my creativity, it becomes stronger.
6. My creativity flourishes.
7. My creativity brings joy to me and my world.
8. There is a divine plan of goodness for me and my work.
9. As I create and listen, I am led.
10. I am willing to create.
11. I am willing to use my creative talents.
12. Through using a few simple tools, my creativity flourishes.
13. I am allowed to nurture my creativity.
14. My creativity leads me to friendship and service.
15. I am a conduit of God to create good things.
16. My creativity is God-given.
17. Using my creativity is a gift back to God.
18. I allow creativity to flow through me.
19. I welcome a flow of creative ideas.
20. I act on my creative impulses with faith and clarity.
    

dil·i·gence

Okay... sometimes I really get too lazy when I'm at work. I end up daydreaming or playing an online game addiction instead of facing the task at hand.

So to help me, I collected some verses from Proverbs. I post them here to serve me as inspiration, as a net for casting a vision, as a through-line setting a goal, or as a cheerleading squad. I know I'll need this sooner or later.

I'm posting the list here so I can just glance at it instead of leafing through my notebook where I wrote these down.

The Proverbs on diligence

A wise youth harvests in the summer,
but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

Lazy people irritate their employers,
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.

Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards.

Work hard and become a leader;
be lazy and become a slave.

Lazy people don't even cook the game they catch,
but the diligent make use of everything they find.

Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.

Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty!

A lazy person's way is blocked with briers,
but the path of the upright is an open highway.

A lazy person is as bad as
someone who destroys things.

Lazy people take food in their hand
but don't even lift it to their mouth.

Those too lazy to plow in the right season
will have no food at the harvest.

If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin,
for their hands refuse to work.
Some people are always greedy for more,
but the godly love to give!

he lazy person claims, "There's a lion out there!
If I go outside, I might be killed!"

Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.

I walked by the field of a lazy person,
the vineyard of one with no common sense.
I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
It was covered with weeds,
and its walls were broken down.
Then, as I looked and thought about it,
I learned this lesson:
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

Okay, here's my plan. If I need a break either because laziness sets in, or I'm genuinely tired, I look at this list, grab one, and meditate on it. May God's Word do its work in me.

Baby Steps, a silly kindergarten ditty

Baby steps! Baby steps!
These delight the Father.
Baby steps, careful/confident
They bring joy to Mother.

Baby steps, little feet
God is their Maker.
Not to run ahead
but to walk in step
with the God of baby steps.

Borrowed story: Doug Nichols in the toilet

Doug Nichols tells of his experience in missions:

When I finished Bible school, the school had to put me in special tutoring class. They tutored me through school because I could not read well, or study well, and then could not do things. I applied to 30 different missions. I wanted to be a missionary. I felt God calling me to Him and people would say, "Ah, forget it, you'll never be able to be a missionary." I applied to 30 different missions, finally one accepted me on a trial basis.

For two years, I went to India with the group called Operation Mobilization and I was so excited on being with these Indian believers, these leaders because Indians taught me, train me in ministry. Indians did train me, and as we were down south in India, they would teach me how to preach and how to give gospel tracts and how to share the gospel. I was so excited. And I was preaching one day, I began to cough, cough and it got worse and worse and they discovered that I had tuberculosis, very serious tuberculosis.

We had no money so I had to go into a government TB center, and I was so discouraged. The only reason they let me in was because someone died that day and they let me have his bed. They didn't even change the sheets. I'm in a corner and I'm discouraged at that filthy, smelly, people dying all around, no money, only one meal a day. So I thought at least I can go from bed to bed and distribute gospel tracts.

I started going from bed to bed and people would look at this tract and look at me and they tear it up and they throw it back in my face. Because they didn't like this American taking the place of an Indian in the TB sanctuary. So nobody would talk to me, everybody would treat me badly, I couldn't even give out tracts. Most people can at least give out tracts. I couldn't even do that effectively. So I went to sleep that night very discouraged.

About 2:30 in the morning, I woke up, coughing. Do you think that God has anything to do with our sickness? Do you believe in the sovereignty of God? I woke up at 2:30 coughing and as I was coughing trying to catch my breath from the tuberculosis. I looked across on the other side of the room and one of the patients was trying to get out of bed. He would get out of bed, he'd take a few steps and had fall back in bed. He get out of bed, take a few steps and fall back. He was so weak he could not walk that he laid down in bed and I heard him cry. I didn't know what's going on, I couldn't speak the language, I couldn't ask what's wrong, I'm sick, he's sick. But he begin to cry, well, I went back to sleep.

I woke up the next morning and I knew what had happened. He was simply trying to get up to go to the toilet. But because he was so weak, he couldn't get to the toilet. So he went to the toilet in his bed and the stench was so bad and people were upset and the other people were yelling at him. One threw a tea cup and threw it at him. When the nurses come in to change the bed, one of them slapped him in the top of the head. Terrible!

That night we went to bed again. And again, at 2:30 in the morning, I woke up coughing. As I coughed, I looked across the aisle and there was the old man and he was trying to get out of bed again. I knew now what was happening. But I did the same thing that many of you would, I began to reason. This was not my responsibility. Why don't the Indians take care of themselves? Let the Indians take care of themselves! Besides, where are the nurses? Where are the doctors? How come they're not taking care of this old man? But he was still trying to get out of bed to go to the toilet and nobody was helping him and I remembered a verse.

I memorized it a year before, "He that knows the right thing to do and does not do it to him it is sin." And so I knew I had to do something, reluctantly, not with any joy, I walked across to the other side of the room, he'd already laid back in bed and he was crying. He knew what was going to happen and I tap him on the shoulder and his eyes came to open and with fear and I said something you know, I smiled at him and I just put this arm under his back and this arm under his legs and I picked him up. I was weak but I was not weak like him. And I stumbled down the hallway and into the corner and to this filthy, filthy toilet. And then, I'm sensitive to bad smells and filthy and I held him and he relieved himself. And when he finished, I picked him up and took him into my arms again and took him back to his bed and as I lay him down on his bed, my face was near his and he kissed right here, kissed me right there. He said something in Maliala that I didn't understand.

I went back to my bed and collapsed with fatigue and immediately went to sleep. About 5:00 in the morning, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I opened my eyes and there was a man with a cup of steaming hot chai. I thought, what is this? Breakfast in bed? He gave me the tea and stepped back and opened his hands like a book. He indicated he wanted a gospel tract. Now, isn't that something? The day before they're tearing it up, now, they're coming to my bed with tea and asking for a gospel tract. Wow, I wonder what happened? And I gave him a gospel tract, I was so excited.

About a few minutes later, another patient came to my bed, and another patient, and another patient. By 10:00 that day, 350 patients either came to my bed asking for my tract or sending someone else to get one for them. And for the next several weeks or months, I'm not sure how many of those people turn from sin to the Savior because of the gospel. But you know what opened the door? Something that any of you could have done, simply taking an old man to the bathroom, open the door to all these people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and you could do the very same thing.

Borrowed story: Doug Nichols in Greenhills

Doug Nichols showed me the value of kindness in a harsh world. This is his story:

I had to have a load more time put time on my phone and I was over at Greenhills shopping mall. I asked someone and said, "Go there."

So I walked up to one of the counters to have your load put on your phone. As I walked up, they saw this tall old missionary walk up to them. Evidently they did not like Americanos. They started calling me names. "What do you want you ugly Americano?" "Where did you get that nose? Looks like a saging, a banana nose" and they started saying things, and they laughing and making fun of me and my looks.

So they started putting the load on my phone and one of them started some very shameful things to me, very cruel and foul and using sexual terms and just is terrible. And I was so embarrassed, so embarrassed I found myself getting red with embarrassment. I was so ashamed that people would even talk to anybody like that. So I paid for my phone and I turned and as I walked away they said some terrible things to me, very bad things, couldn’t even repeat them.

One hour later, I’m walking, still in Greenhills, I finished all my appointments and walking back to my car and I passed Krispy Kreme donuts. Oh I shouldn’t say Krispy Kreme donuts today, should I? But I was on the other side. You know I do not like Krispy Kreme donuts because you just walk by the place you gain 5 pounds. And so, they were baking some fresh donuts and you could smell the bread, you could smell the donuts. As I smell the bread, I’m walking towards my car I’m still feeling so badly about what happened an hour before and then all of a sudden I remembered the verse "Pray for those who despitefully use you and say all manner of evil against you. Pray for them, be exceedingly glad."

All of a sudden I remember those people in that phone shop and I knew what God was leading me to do. So I walked over across the street to Krispy Kreme. I ordered 6 donuts, when they gave me the bill I said, "I just want to buy donuts, I don’t want to buy the store." They put them in a bag and I put some gospel tracts in the bag, about 50 of them. And then I walked back over to that where that phone shop was and as I walked up they saw me and they began to say the bad words again but when I got up to the counter I put the Krispy Kreme donuts and I said, "Para sa iyo" and they all asked "Sir, what is this?"

"Oh, it’s 3 o’ clock. It’s merienda time. This is for you. I want to bless you in Jesus’ name."

And then they changed totally, completely. I took out the gospel tracks and I gave to them. "This is how to tell you how you can turn from sin to the Savior." And then I turned and I walked away and as I walked away do you what they said? "Thanks mister for talking to us. Thanks mister for coming here today."

Borrowed story: Doug Nichols in a restaurant

I borrow this story from missionary Doug Nichols:

Several years ago, when I had cancer, 2 friends took me to a special breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal, the doctor said that I was going to be dying in several months, so my friends wanted to buy me a special breakfast. I guess you can call it the "last breakfast."

So we went into the restaurant and it was very crowded. There must have been a convention going on. Everybody was there and they didn't have enough servers and waiters. So finally, the waitress came over and gave us our coffee and then rushed away saying, "I will be back in a few moments to take your order."

So she rushes away, few minutes later and one of my friends said, "I wonder if that waitress who's waiting on us…I wonder if she's a believer. I wonder if she's a Christian."

I looked at her and there was nothing attractive about her. Hindi maganda, she wasn't attractive. She's kind of pumpy and her dress has kind of food all over it, her hair is all mess up and but there was something about her countenance and the way she waited on people and the way she went about her job and so when she comes over I will try to find out if she's a believer.

So when she came over, she said, "May I have your order please?" and I said, "Ma'am, I know this may not be the best time but may I ask you a question? The doctors tell me that I'm dying in about 3 months with cancer. Can you tell a man who is dying of cancer how to go to heaven?"

She did not miss a beat. She looked at me and said, "Certainly I can. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."

Whoa. I fell back in my chair. I said, "That is wonderful. Then you must know John 14:6."

She said, "Certainly. Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.' Now, may I have your order?"

Doug Nichols explained: You know, that's the type of person you and I should be. To immediately point to people and say to people and even if it's inconvenient. That's not the right time, we're rushed. People may even be embarrassed but immediately be able to say, "Jesus said, 'I am the Way,' without the way there's no going, 'I am the truth,' without the truth, there's no knowing. 'I am the Life,' without the life there is no living, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Borrowed story: Doug Nichols on a plane

Doug Nichols was at church last Sunday and he told us this story...

I was riding in a plane with a man recently, several years ago and he said. He was trying to talk to me and I’m deaf in my right ear and I couldn’t quite hear him and I was going over my notes for my message that night and I was nervous because the plane was late. And finally he said, "You’re a Christian, aren’t you?"

I looked at him and I said, "Yes, I am."

He says, "I could tell by the words on your paper. I’m a Muslim."

I said, "Yes, I know."

"How do you know?"

"Well, you look like a Muslim."

"You know," he said, "I have so much trouble going through airport security. I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s fair."

I said, "Hey wait, you look like a terrorist. You know, how do you expect people to treat you?"

"What do I do?" he asked.

So I began to explain to him how to go through airport security. You take off your coat. You take off your belt. You take off your shoes. You take all the heavy items out of your pocket. You take off your watch. You try to be polite. You open your bag, You don’t cause trouble to the security people or they will treat you badly. As I was giving him these instructions, he said, "You like Muslims, don’t you?"

And I said, "Well, yes I do. We pray for you all the time."

"You pray for Muslims? What do you pray about?"

"I pray that when you die you go to heaven."

"You don’t think we’re going to heaven?"

I said, "Hey. I know you’re not going to heaven."

"Why do you say that?"

I asked him back, "Do you know you’re going to heaven?"

He said, "No, not really."

I said, "Why not?"

"Well, I don’t know if I have enough good works." He then turned to me and said, "Are you going to heaven?"

I said, "Yeah I’m going to heaven."

"How are you going to heaven?"

I said, "I’m going to heaven on good works."

He said, "What?! How do you know you have enough good works?"

I said, "See, that’s the difference. You’re trying to go to heaven on your good works and you’ll never have enough good works. I’m going to heaven on the good works of another, Jesus Christ the Son of God who God sent to this earth, who lived the perfect life, who died on the cross in my place for my sins. I’m going to heaven on the good works of Jesus Christ the Son of God who love me and gave Himself for me."

He said, "I didn’t know that. Nobody has ever told me that before."

(Whenever I read that part I weep. "Nobody has ever told me that before.")

Doug Nichols continues with his story: So the plane was landing and I gave him a gospel track. I said, "You take this, you read it and it will tell you on how you will turn from sin and to the Savior."

He said, "We’re not there yet. Let’s read it together." So we’re getting our bags reading the gospel at the aisle of our train reading the gospel track and as he left that day he said, "Thank you, sir, for talking to me. Thank you for talking."

There's something about Starbucks

How many of you, when you need to finish an important project, go to a cafe? When you need some writing space and can't stand your desk anymore, is the nearest Starbucks the first refuge that comes to mind?

Starbucks isn't exactly private. It is a public place available to anyone. It's a meeting place, a hang-out. You can also people-watch in Starbucks. But I have, many times when I'm out of sorts, entered a Starbucks, ordered a short coffee of the day, found a secluded spot, plop myself on desk, open my notebook and write. I usually remember the coffee only hours later when it's already cold and no longer tasty. Lost in my writing, I find myself again.

I know I'm not alone. I know others do their work in cafes too. I know there's a lot of you readers out there who suddenly find their productive/prolific selves when they're at a cafe. Is it the unobtrusive jazz music? Is it the smell of caffeine in the air? Is it the lighting? Is it the round table and wooden chairs? I really don't know. But many a poem or novel has been begun at or finished in a cafe.

Right now I want to run from my office desk and to the Starbucks downstairs. The temperature there is not freezing like here in the office. And no one seems to mind you because they've either buried their noses on their laptop screens, or are busy reading the newspaper while chatting with their friends. There is something about how cafes are made that puts me into a good working mood.

So this is my proposition to those wanting to start their own companies. If you want to make your employees happy and productive, do not seat them side-by-side in computer cubicles or stations. Scratch off those swivel office chairs from your budget list. Don't worry about what color paint you'll use on the walls.

Instead, set up a counter of sorts where coffee or frap and some pastries are readily available upon order. Put up a condiments area where there's cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles in glass bottles. Add a hefty stash of coffee stirrers and napkins and muscovado sugar in packets. Don't forget the thermos for milk.

Get round wooden tables and surround each with at two to three wooden chairs. Set up a laptop per table. This will be the employees' work station. Each employee will get one table of his own each, and they have to be comfortably apart.

Glass walls are a must. So are high ceilings. The lighting should not be flourescent, and not too bright. You've the option of wall-to-wall carpeting or polished wood floors. Hang some neglectable paintings. They don't have to be about coffee. And oh! Clean restrooms, too, with soap and giant tissue paper rolls!

Each time a worker arrives on time, he gets a stamp on his card. When he has collected enough stamps, he gets something special.

I assure you, your employees will be happily reporting to work each morning. Productivity, too, will rise. Your business goals will be met. And when your people call in sick, they won't be lying.

Dana's home!

Dana's home after being confined at the hospital for three days. She had pneumonia. But now she's home and it's a good way to start 2011.

We've had a whirlwind of a vacation. First, on December 27, I took my family out to Rockpoint Hotel in Pansol, Laguna. It was our wedding anniversary. While in Rockpoint, we swam and had dinners and explored a bit of Laguna. We even had spa massages, courtesy of the Hotel. While we were on the massage tables, Dana did her antics making the masseuses laugh. Dana enjoyed the stay the most, wanting to stay in the pools far longer than we would allow.

That evening though, Veck's cough grew from bad to worse. When we arrived back home on December 28, we were all too tired. I was a bit worried about Veck's health. I went to work on December 29 and 30. Veck stayed home as the nanny is on a holiday vacation.

On December 29 we saw Splendide! The Grand China National Acrobatic Circus! If Dana enjoyed Rockpoint the most, I must certainly say at this show Veck and I enjoyed it more than she did. Ever since I saw the Philippine Acrobatic Troupe I have always wanted to be an acrobat. (Yes! Turns out fate called me to be a writer-actor, but I can dream!) So it's such a treat when we saw this show at the Araneta Coliseum. Even Veck commented while we were queued up to buy tickets, "You should see the look on your face. You're like a little kid."

When we got home, though, Dana got a bad case of cough. Then her temperature got so high it went through the roof. So early on the morning of December 30, we brought her to National Children's Hospital. Veck stayed with her as I needed to go to work. We stayed in the hospital all through January 1. I would like to thank everyone who prayed for Dana and visited us during this time. Veck went up to the roof deck to watch fireworks but Dana and I were fast asleep on New Year's Eve. I was getting really homesick being couped up in the hospital, and I could tell Dana was too.

On the eve of December 30 Dana looked healthy enough to go home. In fact, she was already playful and Veck and I were enjoying playing with her. Suddenly she hugged me tight and she began to tremble. "She's having chills," I told Veck.

Veck took her temperature while I tried to wrap her in blankets. She was still clinging to me so I rubbed my hands together and placed it on her back to give her body warmth. The thermometer registered 41 degrees! Veck said Dana's lips and fingertips were turning black, and her ears and feet were turning ashen pale. I knew that ordinarily Veck would panic at this, but she didn't. She gave Dana her needed medicines. After about 15 minutes, Dana's temperature went back to normal and she was fast asleep on my chest.

Veck asked, "Were you scared for Dana?"

I said, "No. I knew God can heal her." This is me riding on the shoulders of giants of faith. I read Hebrews 11 while in the hospital and that's what helped me. I particularly enjoyed riding atop Abraham's shoulders. "Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing... Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises" (Romans 4).

I looked back on the times when Veck and I had our quarrels and we would fight over Dana. We would say things like separation and who gets to keep Dana and which one of us can ensure a good future for her. Those fights turned really ugly. When we were rushing Dana to the hospital I turned my anger towards God, "Are You now joining the tug-of-war for Dana, too? Are You now going to take her from us?" I was so different from Abraham, who willingly obeyed God when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his one and only son.

Suffering from terrible boredom I asked Veck to buy me a book from a bargain bookstore so I've something to read when Dana's asleep. She bought me a collection of Christmas stories. The editor wrote in the introduction for one of the stories, "We ought to read 1 Corinthians 13 every day." I opened my notebook and copied the passage word for word. So yes, faith carried us through this time, but it was love that healed Veck and me. Let me share with you a few verses from 1 Corinthians 13:

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love will last forever!

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

I gotta run now because Veck says we must go to the hypermart for groceries before it closes. See you soon!

May your 2011 be filled with faith, hope, and love!

Tales from a Christmas Cynic

Just now my colleagues and I spent a good whole hour not working but window shopping online for a perfect gift to give to our boss who is based in Sydney, Australia.

Should we give him a book? A bottle of perfume? A leather wallet? We would argue back and forth. No, a fountain pen is best, I would insist. So we browsed catalogues finding the best bargain. I spot a Luscious Chrome Century Ballpoint that's $70. "That should do," I say as I loosen my belt pants so I could breathe. I have been to one too many Christmas parties these past two weeks, and more are lined up ahead.

"Seventy dollars is too much! That's close to P3,000!" one of my colleague exclaims.

"That's about 500 pesos split among us. Besides, it's Christmas. We only do this once a year," retorted another. "Plus this store offers free engraving."

This is what Christmas is for us. Greeting cards, gifts, buffet parties, 13th month bonuses. A friend confessed once, "I like Halloween better than Christmas."

"Why?" I asked, incredulous.

"Halloween isn't pretentious. Christmas, on the other hand, is just another word for 'commercialized holiday.' There's a whole industry machinery behind its back churning money out of the whole charade."

"Scrooge," I tease him. "Christmas Cynic."

He turns to me smugly. "Do you know that there are more suicides occurring at this time of the year than any other? Depression hits an all-time high--pardon the pun--as countless people suffer loneliness and isolation. Enter all these sentimentality about family and Santa and I'll-be-home-for-Christmas cheer and all you did was rub it in their faces enough to push them off the cliff. Perfect ingredients for disaster."

I think now of my Uncle Bob and Aunt Edith. Uncle Bob's dad has passed away last week. I wonder how they're feeling. Suddenly something takes precedence over things that they would've been doing this time of year, like planning vacations and such. I also remember Aunt Bellet who lost her Mom to old age some Christmasses ago. She sat speechless as tear after tear poured out her eyes. Aunt Bellet's a pastor's wife. Even Christians are not immune to grief.

Of course Jesus did come to this world to die. That's the gospel truth. God couldn't die because He's from everlasting to everlasting. But if He does we can have eternal life. So He became man to suffer death for us. Every birth ends in death sooner or later. That's true for all men, including the Son of Man.

But wait! Hold your horses! Why am I saying this? Have I become like my friend the Halloween lover? Am I becoming a Christmas Cynic? So I go online and watch a video on youtube called "Christmas 2.0: The Digital Story of Nativity."

If you haven't seen the video, it's a humorous re-imagining of the Christmas story. Angel Gabriel uses google maps to track down Mary and texts her an important message: The Holy Spirit will cause her to be with child. Mary finds out about the "Holy Spirit" through Wikipedia and quickly shoots Joseph with an e-mail regarding the news. Suddenly, an FB announcement is made calling all citizens to a census. Joseph books online travel and accommodation and finds only a donkey and a stable available. The Magi use GPS to find the newborn King and shops online for gold, frankincense and myrrh to bring as gifts. It was so funny I had to share it on FB. Within five minutes I got all sorts of comments ranging from "Too cute!" to "Haha! I'll re-post this." So now I'm awashed in cheerful Christmas spirits. I thought if Joseph and Mary were living in our times they're not too different from us. They'd do exactly as we would! We exchange text messages and announce our current status to the world in shout outs.

So, how different was their world back then? Radically different, you might say. There's a two-thousand separation between the First Noel and this coming Christmas. So I dig into my Bible to find out.

Reading through the story I notice there was at least one thing that the video got right. It was a sense of urgency. Everything that was happening caused quite a stir that even baby John leapt within his Mommy Liz's womb. And while the youtube video poked holiday fun at our current Christmas flair, it seemed the First Christmas was steeped in scandal. Joseph finds her girlfriend to be pregnant and almost breaks up their engagement. And just how did they register Mary's child in the Census? Joseph could claimed he was the baby's father, but that wouldn't be exactly true, would it?

Mary, Zechariah, Simeon and Anna become filled with the Holy Spirit and begun to prophesy. The things they said hint that they were in very dangerous times, especially for a King child to be born.

Zechariah's lips, unloosed, said, "God has sent us a mighty Saviour from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies so we can serve God without fear."

Mary said, "His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands." Why, I gasp, Mary's talking about a revolution!

Simeon's words to the new mother were no less unnerving. "This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul."

Then strange visitors from the East pay a courtesy call, which only endanger the life of the Child, and those around him. King Herod sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under to wipe out his throne's future usurper. My head was spinning after reading that. Two-year-old boys?! There's a secret flight to Egypt in the middle of the night. "Quickly!" the angel rouses Joseph frum sleep. "Go now!"

My friend Ivy San Diego-Guerrero just gave birth to her first son Timothy last December 7. Timmy is a miracle child, born only at 29 weeks' term. He weighed 1.246 kilos at birth. Immediately he has brought joy to his parents Ivy and Omar. Timmy, the little fighter, has to stay in the hospital to gain enough weight before he's allowed to go home. I shudder to think what if the government declares a massacre of all boys? Timmy would've lost his chance at life!

So now I know I was wrong. The events of 2000 years ago are not very different from today's. Middle East politics is shaky and there's threat of war. North and South Korea have exchanged bombs. Nearly a decade ago Lauro Vizconde lost his entire family in a tragedy, and still the killers are unknown. It was just last year that the Maguindanao Massacre shocked the whole nation.

"A cry was heard in Ramah—
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead."

Was that headline from 2000 years ago, or today's? Christ's first coming was wrapped in political tension and personal tragedies, things we know all too well in 2010.

And yet the angels have announced something we all pin our hopes on to. They sang to shepherds: "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

Peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. This is the I AM's promise. He said, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." It is by God's grace that we receive peace. It was His choice to impart compassion.

It is by God's grace that Omar and Ivy have peace as they wait for Timmy to be strong enough to come home. It is with peace that Aunt Bellet grieved her mom's passing, knowing that the Christ has come and conquered death forever. It is with God's peace that I look at my strained family relationships knowing that somehow and soon, there will be forgiveness and restoration. God has promised. "I will have compassion…"

Elizabeth told Mary, "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." It was true then as it is now. We are blessed if we believe that the Lord would keep His promises.

He said He'll give us eternal life (1 John 5:11). He said He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). He said He'll come back for us to live with Him forever (Revelation 22:20). Let us believe that the Lord would do as He said.

So as we celebrate Christ's first coming, amidst greetings and holiday cheer, let us toast to Christ's glorious return, the True King and Saviour of the world. Merry Christmas, my brothers and sisters!

Winter Solstice 2010

Last night was winter solstice. When dawn broke this morning, it ended 2010's longest night. For that reason, I like to believe that today is the begnning of a new year--the New Year.

To greet this Day, the turning point of the planet, allow me to write down some goals I have for 2011. I'll begin with some literary intellectual goals and then maybe move on to the more cosmic and spiritual.

a) read all of Shakespeare's works
b) post a blog at least once a week
c) practice writing and acting; by which I mean write/act not only when I've a project but do acting/writing exercises daily to keep my artistic muscles fit
d) respect other people's deadlines
e) respect other people's boundaries

I have only one "spiritual" goal: to be naked before God. Now I don't mean that I would start stripping as soon as I enter Sunday service for worship. What I mean is I'll try my best to go against the sin DNA that my ancestor Adam passed on to me. When he sinned, he hid in the woods and covered his shame with leaves. God said, "Where are you?"

I know down to my bones that in 2011 I'll have moments of failure. Moments when I've blown it and, like Adam, would go run for cover and self-medicate my shame rather than face responsibility. But what if I go against that?

What if, when I hear my God walking in the garden where I sinned and I know I'm busted, I'd go instead and meet Him, falling down at His feet, tush shaking, crying out, "I did something terrible! I disobeyed You!"

In the movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when Reepicheep entered Aslan's country, he stripped off his armor and laid down his sword. He said, "I wouldn't be needing this anymore." What if I strip off my spiritual/intellectual/non-emotional savvy and stand naked and vulnerable before God, hiding nothing? Just being me before my Maker, no more, no less. He killed an animal aund made clothes out of its hide for Adam and Eve. (I often wonder how those early shirts looked like. Certainly different from the Neanderthal-ish illustrations in most Sunday School books. We're talking about the God of creativity here making clothes!) I do know that many years ago Jesus shed His blood for me. He covered me with His precious blood.